Amazing and Distinctive Facts About the Narcissus Flower

Classification of the flower: The daffodil belongs to the order of lilies, of the liliaceae family, of the narcissus family, of the genus of narcissus, of the daffodil class or of the false narcissus.

Flower specifications: The flower consists of two parts; White or yellow petals and an eye-catching yellow, white or pink wreath in the form of a goblet or trumpet containing stamens, a slender and lightweight stem usually 40 cm long, and its leaves grow from the bulb 30 cm long.

Origin: The daffodil originated initially in Western Europe; From France, through Germany and Britain.

Seasons of flower growth: Narcissus blooms at the beginning, middle and end of spring, depending on its type.

Breeding places: It is widely spread across Europe, but it can be grown in home gardens anywhere in the world if it receives the necessary care.

The reason for naming the flower: The flower is called narcissus, because it belongs to the Greek word narco, which means narcotic; This is because the Greeks believed that the narcissus flower is an evil plant that causes headaches, confusion, loss of mental stability, and eventually death, but fortunately, the effect of inhaling the scent of the narcissus flower is no different from the effect of inhaling any other flower.

Types of Narcissus Flower

Narcissus flowers were classified into 13 main groups depending on the shape and size of the cup located in the middle of the flower in relation to its petals, including the following:

1. With a large cup: This flower has a cup whose length is greater than a third of the length of the petals, but it remains a shorter length, as each stem bears one flower, and the shapes of its cup vary, as it may be trumpet-like, or it may be with flat and ruffled edges, examples of which are; Narcissus Salome and others.
2. Small calyx: This flower has a small calyx that is one-third the length of the petals or shorter, and each stem bears one medium-sized flower, one of the common species for it; Narcissus Eleanor Auchincloss, and Narcissus Barrett Browning.
3. Trumpet: It is distinguished for its large flower, as one flower grows on each stem, and in the middle of it is a trumpet that reaches the length of the flower petals or longer. This type blooms earlier than other types, and it comes in various shapes and colors, examples of which are; And the flower of Mount Hood.
4. Double flowers: It is of an unusual shape with rows of frilled petals that resemble a carnation flower. Tahiti narcissus flower.
5. Tyrandros: It is characterized as small and with a short stem, the flower petals bloom backwards and hang from the stem like columbine flowers, prefer moist environments, and one or more flowers hang from each stem, and they are of a great variety; The white next.

The Main Parts of a Narcissus Flower

The following is the most important information about the parts of the narcissus flower:

Narcissus flower parts

• Roots: Its function is to absorb water and minerals from the soil.
• Onion: stores food.
• Leaves: perform photosynthesis.
• Stem: supports the flower upwards, and transports water and food to the parts of the flower.
• Flower: contains the parts of the plant that produce seeds for the reproduction of the flower.

Narcissus parts

• Calyx: A trumpet-shaped part that grows in the inner part of the flower.
• Frame: It is the outer edges of the cup.
• Petals: 6 floral leaves surrounding the calyx.
• The eye: It is the middle part of the flower that is located inside the calyx, and contains the carpels and stamens.
• Carpel: the female part of the flower, consisting of 3 parts; The stigma is the part that receives the pollen, the stigma is the part that supports the stigma, and the ovary that protects the ovules that turn into seeds if fertilized.
• Stamen: The male part of the flower, consisting of two parts; The anther is the part that produces and releases pollen, and the filament is the part that supports the anther. Each flower has 6 stamens.
• Sepals: a covering that surrounds the bud of a flower before it opens.

The benefits and importance of the narcissus flower

Therapeutic uses of the narcissus flower

The following are the therapeutic uses of the narcissus flower:

• Recently, it has been used as a source of the compound galantamine, which has been shown to be a treatment for early and middle-stage Alzheimer's disease.
• Some researchers have found that other compounds from narcissus can be used to treat depression.
• Chinese studies suggest the possibility of using chemical compounds in the daffodil flower to kill some cancer cells.

There is not enough scientific evidence on the therapeutic effect of the narcissus flower, but because of the common belief that it has a narcotic effect; It is popularly used in the treatment of:

• bronchitis.
• burns.
• asthma.
• cold.
• Arthritis.
• Sprains or bruises.
• Whooping cough.
• wound healing.
• the urge to vomit

Narcissus flower relationship with psychology

In one of the ancient Greek myths, he mentions the story of a fisherman named Narcissus, where he looked at his reflection in a lake of water and fell in love with himself for his extreme beauty, only to fall into the water and drown and end up dead. According to the legend, a narcissus flower grew in his place near the lake, and according to this legend, psychoanalysts began In the year 1900 AD, the term "narcissism" was used to describe a person who exaggerated his admiration for himself, and until now this term is still used to describe a person who has an urgent need to receive compliments and admiration from others.

Diseases that may affect daffodils

The following are some of the pests and diseases that may affect the daffodil flower and methods of treatment: 

• Narcissus fly: a fly resembling a bumblebee, laying its eggs on leaves close to the ground to hatch after 7 days, then the larvae come out and crawl until they reach the bulb of the plant, then they enter and feed on them until they grow in size, and there is no effective way to get rid of them, but you can Using agricultural cover to cover the plant.
• Small Narcissus Fly: This fly produces 3 generations per year, and there can be several worms in one onion, unlike the large fly, where one larva can enter each onion, and there is an unconfirmed belief that this fly attacks only infected, unhealthy onions.
• Nematoda (nematodes): These worms can only be seen with the naked eye when symptoms appear on the stems and leaves of the plant in the form of prominent lumpy yellow lesions, and the plant cannot be cured from them, but the infected plants must be disposed of by burning them, and there is no chemical treatment for this pest, It is possible to use hot water to confront them, but this requires high temperatures.
• Onion rot: It is caused by the Fusarium oxysporum fungus, and it is considered one of the most dangerous diseases, as it spreads due to high temperatures in the summer, and it can be inferred when the leaves of the plant die early before its growth, and when examining the onion, it will be noticed that it is soft and a brown substance appears on it surrounding the onion that begins to spread From the base of the onion to the top, and it cannot be treated, but the stored bulbs must be inspected periodically and work to get rid of any soft onion.
• Leaf burns: caused by cyanobacteria, symptoms appear in the form of reddish-brown scabs with yellow edges, and cause early plant death. The disease can be treated by spraying the appropriate type of foliar fungicide, or by using hot water treatment.